Non-ferrous metal articles, in particular items of jewellery, coins, ornaments and the like, and more particularly such articles made of precious metals such as gold, platinum and silver, have surfaces, or components with surfaces, which are either highly polished, frosted, or provided with physical relief patterns applied by stamping, forging, moulding, or engraving. The processes whereby ornamentation or aesthetic appeal may be applied to the surface of such articles is therefore limited and it is considered that it would be highly desirable to provide an alternative to these well known basic surface finishes.
It is, accordingly, the object of this invention to provide articles or components thereof made of non-ferrous alloys, in particular but not exclusively, precious metal alloys, which have a novel and aesthetically pleasing surface appearance.